Phoenix Wright: Turnabout of Truth
by Sparkers16
Summary: Phoenix Wright's newest case takes him to South Park, Colorado, where he'll be defending a certain fatass being tried for murder. Rated T for swearing and gore.
1. Opening

**_Hello, everyone, and welcome to the (if I'm correct) very first South Park and Phoenix Wright crossover! This takes place right after South Park: Stick of Truth and the first Phoenix Wright game, because I haven't played any of the other ones yet. :/ Enjoy, and leave a review about what you thought! _**

_It was nighttime. The sun had just set over Stark's Pond. An old rowboat floated slowly in the middle of the pond, the moon casting long shadows over the three boys who sat there._

_"You see anything, New Kid?" One of them asked._

_The New Kid shook his head as he peered down into the dark, murky depths of Stark's Pond. _

_"I could've sworn it fell right here..."_

_"It's probably already sunken, dumbass."_

_"Hm, yeah. What should we do now?"_

_"I have an idea."_

_"What?"_

_One of the kids lunged forward and pushed the New Kid into the lake. The New Kid sank under the water; he was never a good swimmer._

_BANG! The sound of a gunshot was heard._

_"What the hell was that!? What are you doing!?" One of the kids on the boat shouted as a gun was pointed at him._

_BANG! Another gunshot reverberated, echoing off of the mountains._

_The New Kid flailed his arms and legs and submerged above the water. What he saw on the boat shocked him. _

_"Cartman...why..." Kyle Broflovski breathed as he cradled his chest. A bullet was shot into his heart._

_"Ha! Serves you right, you dumb Jew!" _

_Kyle swayed and fell, his blood staining the rickety wooden boat. He was dead._


	2. Day 1: Investigation

_**January 9th, 7:55 PM**_

_**South Park, Colorado**_

_**Train Station**_

Phoenix stepped off of the train and onto the small train stop. He checked the letter requesting him to defend. It claimed that a woman named "Liane Cartman" would be here to meet him. _Did this woman even show up?_

A few seconds later, a woman stopped right in front of Phoenix. She was of a medium height, with short brown hair, a cyan sweater, and red pants. "Excuse me, are you Phoenix Wright?" she asked. Her voice was quiet and sweet.

"That's me," Phoenix replied. "And you must be Liane Cartman?"

Liane nodded. "Yes. Oh, thank you so much for coming, Mr. Wright! I'm so honored that a high-class defense attorney such as yourself would even consider helping with this case."

Phoenix took a good look at Liane's face. He was jaded towards defending, but just seeing the sincerity and gratefulness on this woman's face made Phoenix want to defend again.

"It's no problem," Phoenix said. "I just need to ask some questions."

"That's fine with me!"

"Who is the defendant?"

"His name is Eric Cartman," Liane answered.

"Eric...Cartman?" Phoenix repeated. "Are you related to him?

"Why, yes, I am."

_Ah. She must be his wife, or sister, or daughter..._

"Eric is my son."

Phoenix gaped. "Your son?!" _How old is this woman!? She doesn't look nearly old enough to have an adult son! _"How old is Eric?"

"Ten years old."

"Oh, I see," Phoenix said. Then, he realized just what Liane said. "TEN YEARS OLD!? The defendant is a kid and he's being tried in ADULT COURT!?"

"I'm afraid so," Liane looked down, at the brink of tears. "Little Eric has already committed crimes before, and the justice system has made an exception for him."

"Uh...what crimes exactly has he committed before this?"

"It's a long list," Liane sighed. "You...don't want to know."

_Oh, heavens. How bad is this kid? _"Um, can I meet Eric?" Phoenix asked.

"Yes. He's currently being held at the South Park police office...oh, my poor baby!" Liane cried.

"It's alright, Mrs. Cartman," Phoenix reassured. "Don't worry, I'll have your son proven innocent. I promise."

"Th-thank you," Liane sniffled. "Here's a map of South Park." She presented him a map of the quiet mountain town. "If you need me, I'll be at my house. I've prepared the guest room for you to sleep in while you're staying here."

_**Map of South Park added to Court Record.**_

As Liane left the train station, Phoenix used the map and walked to the South Park detention center.

_**January 9th, 8:08 PM**_

_**South Park Police Office**_

_**Detention Center**_

Just then, a man walked into the room. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with olive skin, black hair and a large trench coat.

_That can't be... _"Detective Gumshoe!?"

Gumshoe turned around and grinned at the sight of Phoenix. "Hey, pal! What's bringing you to this town?"

"I could ask you the same question."

Gumshoe scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah. My salary got too small back there...so I quit my job and got a new job as a detective here in South Park!"

_Poor Gumshoe. He just can't get a break. _"Well, I'm here for the murder case," Phoenix explained. "I'm going to be defending Eric Cartman."

"Oh," Gumshoe averted his gaze. "The trial's tomorrow."

"I sort of expected that," Phoenix snorted. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Well...I don't think you've made the right choice here, pal."

"What do you mean?"

"I know how you're always being all righteous, defending the weak and stuff. And so far, everyone you've defended has been innocent. But see here...this Eric Cartman kid, I really don't think he's innocent. And even if he is...I don't think we want a kid like him in society."

Phoenix frowned. "You really think so?"

"Yup. From what I've heard, that kid has done some pretty terrible things."

"Like what?"

Gumshoe shuddered. "You don't wanna know, pal."

_That's the second time someone has said that...I'm getting kind of curious. _

Phoenix thought for a while before speaking up. "Look...if my client is innocent, I will defend him at any cost. It doesn't matter if he's bad. People can change."

Gumshoe nodded slowly. Phoenix knew that they were both thinking of the same person...Miles Edgeworth.

"But if I want to solve this case, I'll need to know what happened...can you tell me?"

"Hey! You aren't gonna trick me into giving you evidence!"

"Can you just tell me what happened?"

"Nope. I'm really not budging on this one, pal. I don't trust that Cartman kid. For this case, I don't want you to win. No hard feelings."

"It's alright," Phoenix muttered. _Wow...I guess I can't trick him into giving me clues this time. I really need to meet the defendant. _

"Good. I'll be going now. See ya in court, pal." Gumshoe left.

Phoenix walked to the visiting room and sat down at the chair. After a minute, a small boy walked (or rather, waddled) up to the glass screen. He was, well, incredibly obese. He wore a red jacket, and his hair was brown and medium length.

_Okay. He's a child, so I'll have to be very gentle with him. And I especially don't want to anger him, if he has as bad of a criminal record as Liane and Detective Gumshoe say. Gulp...here we go._

"Hello," Phoenix said with a smile. "You must be Eric Cartman."

"Mm, yeah," Eric said, pulling himself onto the chair put in front of the glass separator. "What's it to you, spiky?"

_Spiky? Urgh, will the insults to my hair ever end? _

"Well, Eric, I'm aware that you've been accused for a crime-"

"I DIDN'T DO IT, ASSHOLE!"

Phoenix's eyes widened. _This kid has some serious anger management problems... _"I-I'm not saying you did it, Eric. In fact, I don't think you did. My name's Phoenix Wright-"

"Wow, that is the gayest name ever," Eric snickered.

Phoenix gritted his teeth. "If you would let me finish...My name's Phoenix Wright. I'm a lawyer, and I'm here to defend you."

Eric gasped. Immediately, he sat up straight, folded his hands, and smiled angelically. "Oh, it's very nice to meet you, Mr. Wright!"

_He's acting all nice now that he knows I'm helping him...what a manipulative child. But hey, I won't complain about a client treating me well. _

"It's nice to meet you too, Eric," Phoenix said, barely holding back his eyes from rolling. "Now, before I can defend you in court, I have to know what happened during the murder."

"I SAID I-" Eric started, then composed himself. "Uh, I mean, sure, dude."

"Good. Just give me a general explanation on what happened." _If I let him tell too many details, he might lie. All I need is a basic idea of the events of the murder. _

"M'kay. It was three days ago, at night. Me and my friend Kahl were on a boat out on Stark's Pond."

"Why were you on the water at nighttime?" Phoenix questioned. _And, um, Kahl? What kind of name is that? Oh...he must mean "Kyle." That was the victim's name, if I remember correctly. _

"We were looking for something that fell in the pond. Anyway, so we were just standing there in the boat, and we heard a loud noise. Like a gunshot. And then we heard another gunshot. And then when I looked at Kahl...he was dead."

_Two gunshots...hm...I need to investigate the crime scene. I'm going to need a lot more information. But at least Eric's explanation helped._

"Thank you, Eric. I have to go now, to investigate. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Mr. Wright!" Eric waved as Phoenix left. "Fuckin' fag," he whispered once the defense attorney was gone.

_**January 9th, 8:11 PM**_

_**Stark's Pond**_

_**Entrance**_

Phoenix arrived at Stark's Pond, where several police officers were searching around for evidence. The pond was pretty large, with fog blanketing the surface of the water and tress burdened with snow dotted all around the sides. _I wonder where I should start? _

Just then, two children ran by. There was a girl with long black hair wearing a lavender jacket and a pink hat, who was dragging a boy with a teal jacket and short, blond hair by the hand.

"Hey, wait!" Phoenix called after them. They turned around. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Uh, my mom says I shouldn't talk to, uh, strangers," the boy stammered.

"Yeah," the girl agreed. "You could be a rapist, or a kidnapper!"

"I'm not, trust me," Phoenix protested. "I'm a defense attorney. I'm going to be making sure Eric Cartman is going to get a 'not guilty' verdict tomorrow."

The kids' faces lit up. "Oh, you must be that Phoenix Wright guy Cartman's mom was talking about!" the girl exclaimed.

The boy grinned. "Yeah, the guy who's never lost a trial!"

_Geez, I've only done four cases. These kids are acting like I'm a superhero or something! _"Yeah, that's me," Phoenix chuckled. "What are your names?"

"My name is Wendy Testaburger," the girl said.

"And I'm, uh, Butters," the boy said. "Butters Stotch."

"Butters?" _That's a pretty weird name... _

"Well, uh, my real name's 'Leopold.' But everyone calls me Butters."

"Ah. It's nice to meet you two. But...what are you doing here? You shouldn't be playing on a crime scene," Phoenix condoled.

"We're not playing!" Wendy huffed. "We're INVESTIGATING. We're looking for evidence to help Cartman out tomorrow."

"Really?" Phoenix said. "Aren't you two a little young to be doing that?"

"We're never too young to help our friend!" Butters blurted out.

"He's not my friend," Wendy grimaced.

"He's not?"

"No," Wendy said firmly. "I hate Cartman. I loathe him. But I think he's innocent."

"Did you see anything?" Phoenix asked excitedly.

"I didn't." _Way to rain on my parade, Wendy. _"I'm just getting this feeling that Cartman didn't do it. He's racist, self-centered, manipulative, and overall a total jerk. And he's done worse than this before..."

"What do you mean!?"

"Y-you don't want to know," Butters butted in. _No, I DO want to know! _Phoenix thought in exasperation.

"Butters is right," Wendy said. "You don't want to know. Anyway, even though I wouldn't put murder past him, it doesn't make sense why he would shoot Kyle."

Phoenix nodded. "They were friends, right?"

To Phoenix's surprise, Wendy laughed. "Ha, did Cartman tell you that?"

"Er...yes?"

Wendy shook her head in disapproval. "You have a lot to learn if you're going to be staying in South Park, Mr. Wright. For starters...NEVER trust a word Cartman says."

"Wait...so they weren't friends?"

"N-not in the slightest," Butters admitted. "They hated each other."

"Hm," Phoenix scratched his chin. "How so?"

Wendy sighed. "They would get into huge arguments and fights every day. It would start off with Cartman ripping on Kyle for being Jewish, then Kyle would retort by calling him fat...and it would just escalate from there."

"Yeah, this isn't even the first time Eric has tried to kill Kyle," Butters revealed.

"WHAT!?" _Damn it, now he has a motive! I haven't even seen the crime scene yet, and this isn't looking good for my client... _"Then, Wendy, why do you think he's innocent!?"

"Because Cartman never tries to kill someone without a reason," she stated. "Whether it's for revenge, or to keep someone from revealing a secret, he always has a reason. Kyle hasn't really done anything huge to infuriate him recently. So it doesn't make sense why Cartman would kill him."

"That's why Wendy and me are helping Eric!" Butters said.

"I hate Cartman with a passion," Wendy agreed, "but I don't want him being declared guilty for something he didn't do. He needs to be punished for the things he DID do."

"I suppose that makes sense," Phoenix shrugged. "So, have you kids found any evidence yet?"

"We sure have!" Butters replied. "We found the boat where the, uh, murder took place."

"That's great! Can you show me?"

The two kids nodded and ran off towards the lake. "Hey, wait up!" Phoenix yelled, running after them.

**_January 9th, 8:14 PM_**

**_Stark's Pond_**

**_Left Shore_**

_Huff...huff...I really need to exercise more... _Phoenix thought as he reached where the children had stopped. They were right at the edge of the pond, standing in front of an old, rickety rowboat.

"So this is the boat?"

"Yep." Butters and Wendy confirmed.

"Okay. I'm going to examine it for a bit. You kids stay put, I might need some help."

"Sure thing, Mr. Wright!" Butters said, saluting.

Phoenix smiled. _What cute kids...alright, I have some investigating to do. _He clambered into the boat, being careful not to disrupt any possible evidence.

The very first thing Phoenix noticed was the large, dried pool of blood at the far side of the boat. _That must be the victim's blood... _Phoenix leaned down on one knee and took a closer look at the blood pool. On closer inspection, he saw...long, red hairs! The hairs looked much too long to belong to a boy. _Was someone else besides Eric and Kyle in the boat? Maybe I should ask Wendy and Butters. _

**_Rowboat added to Court_ Record.**

Phoenix stood up and faced the children. "Hey, do you two know anyone with long, red hair?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I found some hair samples in the boat."

"Oh, that must be Kyle's hair," Wendy said.

**_Victim's Hair added to Court Record._**

"The victim? But this hair looks awfully long to belong to a boy..."

Sadness spread across Butters's face. _He must be mourning for his friend... _"Yup, Kyle had really long hair. He had a big afro, but we'd never see it 'cause he always wore his hat."

"His hat?"

Wendy nodded. "Kyle hated his hair, so he always wore this green ushanka to cover it."

"Was he wearing it on the day of the murder?"

"Neither of us were there that night," Butters said, "but, uh, I saw him wearing it earlier in the day. I don't see any reason why he'd take it off."

"Well, if the hat really covers his hair entirely...then if he was wearing it at the time of the murder, his hair wouldn't be in the boat!" Phoenix deduced.

"So he wasn't wearing the hat during the killing?" Butters gasped. "Wow, Mr. Wright, you're so cool!"

"Heh, thanks," Phoenix grinned.

Wendy frowned. "Okay, so he wasn't wearing his hat...but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm not sure," Phoenix admitted. "Maybe it was stolen?"

"By who?"

"I don't know yet...but I have a feeling it has to do with this case. I'm going to look around the boat some more."

Phoenix bent down again. As he examined the boat, he found something wedged under one of the seats. With all his strength, Phoenix pulled it out. It was...a golf club? Why on earth would a golf club be stuck under a rowboat seat? _I don't think this golf club is important...but it was in the boat where the murder took place. I might as well hold onto it._

**_Golf Club added to Court Record._**

Phoenix continued to examine the boat thoroughly. He stared at every little detail, but nothing else revealed anything about the crime. With a sigh, Phoenix got out of the boat and faced the two kids. "I don't think there's anything else important in there...did you two find any other evidence?"

"We sure did, Mr. Wright. We found all sorts of stuff, all around the pond...but then those d-darn police people took it all away," Butters said.

"They took the body, they took the pistol that was the murder weapon, they took samples of the blood, they even took the boat's oars," Wendy listed sadly. Indeed, the oars were missing from the boat.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it a thousand times, _Phoenix thought angrily. _I can only hope things go well_ _tomorrow... _"Hey, are you two going to the trial?"

Wendy shook her head somberly, but a look of fear came up on Butters's face and he froze.

"Butters? What's wrong?"

"I-I...they..." Butters stuttered. "They want me to...tis...test...testa..."

"Testify?" Phoenix finished, a cold hand closing around his heart.

"Uh-huh...Oh, hamburgers!" Butters cried. "I-I wasn't supposed to tell you that..."

"Wait, Butters, you DID see the murder!?" Phoenix gasped.

"N-no!" Butters shook his head vigorously. "I was at home the whole time! M-my parents'll tell you that!"

"Then what does the prosecution want you to testify about?"

"I-I don't know, I really don't!" Butters wailed, tears forming in his eyes. "They came to my house and questioned me, 'cause I'm Eric's friend and all. So I told them everything I saw that day, and then they told me I had to t-testify against Eric!"

"Did you see anything out of the ordinary on that day?" Phoenix questioned.

"N-no. I don't think so."

_That's odd... _Phoenix patted the boy's shoulder. "Butters, you don't have to testify against Eric. They can't force you."

"B-but my parents can! They told me that they'd ground me for the rest of my life if I didn't..."

"I'm very sorry, Butters. Just try your best...or rather, try your worst." This induced a chuckle from the kids. _His parents must be really mean...poor Butters. At least I know now who's testifying as a witness. Maybe they know who the prosecutor is, too. _Phoenix asked them this.

"The prosecutor?" Wendy said. "I'm pretty sure it's...Gerald Broflovski."

"Gerald Broflovski?" Phoenix repeated. "Can't say I've heard of him." _That's a good sign, the well-known prosecutors are always the more vicious ones._

"He isn't very famous," Wendy explained. "In fact, I don't think he's done very many court trials before. But he'll be relentless for this case. He'll do anything to get a guilty verdict."

_Where have I heard that before?_ Phoenix thought sourly. "But...why?"

Wendy averted her gaze, a couple tears spilling out of her eyes. "Gerald Broflovski...the victim was his son."

_Oh, no...that's terrible...for him and for me. There's nothing more fiery than a parent trying to avenge their child..._

"Well, thanks for all your help, you two," Phoenix said, standing up to walk to Liane's house, where he would be staying. "I should be going now. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hold it!" Wendy shouted, running after Phoenix. "Mr. Wright...um, can I be your co-counsel?"

"Why?"

Wendy shuffled her feet in embarrassment. "I've been reading a ton of law books, and I want to see a trial in person. Oh, and I can help you out with things you wouldn't know about South Park and its residents!"

Phoenix thought about it for a while. _I...I don't think I can accept someone standing by me in court that's not Maya...but she has a point. _"Alright, Wendy. Be at the courtroom at 10 tomorrow."

"Thank you!" Wendy beamed. And with that, she and Butters left.

Phoenix walked to the Cartman household, where Liane gave him dinner, and showed him the spare room. Phoenix flopped down on the spare bed, his gut wrenching at the thought of the trial.

Did he even stand a chance at winning?

And did he even want to win?


	3. Day 2: Trial

**_January 10th, 9:55 AM_**

**_District Court_**

**_Defendant Lobby No. 2_**

"Mr. Wright! I came!" Wendy yelled as she ran into the lobby.

Phoenix checked his watch. "Wendy, you were almost late. The trial's about to start."

"I'm sorry," Wendy panted. "The drive was really long. Why did you want to hold the trial in a court so far away, Mr. Wright?"

"Erm, well...this is the court I've always held trials in."

Wendy raised one eyebrow. "Really? That doesn't sound very professional."

"Um..."

Eric Cartman's nasally voice shouted as he walked into the room. "I'm here, I'm here! Where's the applause? The screaming fans?"

_This is a murder trial, Cartman, not a rock concert, _Phoenix thought bitterly. "Hello, Eric. We'll be going inside soon."

"Hi, Mr. Wright, hi...Wendy?" A disgusted look wormed its way onto Eric's features. "Wendy, why the hell are you here!?"

Wendy snorted. "I'm helping Mr. Wright."

Eric glared at Wendy. "Uh-huh. Mr. Wright, could we talk alone for a second?"

"Sure," Phoenix shrugged, and Eric pulled him aside.

"Alright, you can tell me, buddy," Eric whispered sympathetically. "How did she do it?"

"Do what?"

"Make you bring her along. Did she hypnotize you with her female charms? Did she show you her tits?"

"NO!" Phoenix bellowed. "I'll have you know, Cartman, I'm having Wendy help me for a reason!" _Geez, this kid acts like a drunk college student! _

"Give me a break," he growled. "That bitch hates me. She's just waiting for a chance to make me look guilty!"

"For the record, Cartman, she thinks you're INNOCENT!"

Eric paused. "Wait...she does?"

"Yes."

"If that's true, I guess she can be trusted...why does she think I didn't do it, anyway?"

"She said that you'd never try to kill anyone without a reason," Phoenix remembered.

"Heh, she's right," Cartman relented.

"Hey, Eric," Phoenix asked slowly. "Uh...can you tell me about the c-crimes you committed before this?"

"Dude, you don't want to know," Cartman snickered.

"No, I DO want to know!" Phoenix protested. "Everyone's been saying that..."

"Really? Well, there was this one time when I-"

"Calling in the defense and prosecution to the courtroom immediately," the bailiff announced.

_Damn it, it's like the divine forces don't want me to know this kid's criminal record...I swear I'll find out someday! _

**_January 10th, 10:00 AM_**

**_District Court_**

**_Courtroom No. 1_**

Phoenix and Wendy seated themselves at the defense's podium, and with a bang of his gavel, the Judge spoke.

"Court is now in session for the trial of young Eric Cartman," he boomed. "Are the prosecution and defense prepared?"

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," a voice said from across the room. A man with balding brown hair wearing a _yarmulke _was standing there. _He must be Gerald Broflovski... _Upon closer look, Phoenix could see that his eyes were red and puffy...no doubt after crying for the loss of his son. But Gerald didn't look sad; he looked furious, his piercing glare boring into Cartman, who was eating a Twinkie in the defendants chair, oblivious to all the angry looks directed at him.

"Th-the defense is ready, as well," Phoenix said.

The Judge nodded. "Good. Mr. Gerald Broflovski, please provide your opening statement."

Gerald stood up straight and looked Phoenix in the eye. "Three nights ago, my ten-year-old son, Kyle Broflovski, was murdered. The defendant, Eric Cartman, is clearly guilty. The prosecution can provide evidence and witness testimonies for this."

The Judge hesitated. "Your son? Mr. Broflovski, are you completely sure you are okay proceeding with this trial?"

"Yes, Your Honor. Thank you for your concerns, though."

"Very well then. Would the prosecution please inform us of the details of the murder?"

"Sure thing, Your Honor," Gerald said. And he began his explanation.

_"It was the night of January 7th, at 8:38 PM. Two boys were out on a rowboat in the middle of Stark's Pond. One of them was the victim, Kyle Broflovski. The other boy was holding a pistol. He shot the pistol twice. One of the shots missed...but the other one hit Kyle in the heart. He died of blood loss. The boy who shot the gun was the defendant, Eric Cartman!" _

"I see," the Judge said when the explanation was finished. "I will need more than this claim to hand down the verdict, but so far, things are not looking good for the defendant."

"Wait!" Phoenix called out. "How exactly do you know that the shooter was my client!?"

Gerald rolled his eyes. "Have patience, Phoenix Wright. As I said earlier, I have evidence and witnesses. But first, I'd like to present the autopsy report to the court."

"The court accepts this evidence," the Judge said.

**_Autopsy Report added to Court Record. _**

Phoenix reviewed the autopsy report. "_Death was almost instantaneous, caused by blood loss from a bullet to the heart. A sizable bruise was also found on the victim's left side, but this did not contribute to death." A sizable bruise...I wonder if that has anything to do with the murder, _Phoenix thought.

"And now, for proof that Eric Cartman was the murderer," Gerald said. "The prosecution presents the murder weapon, which was seen in the defendant's hands. And the bullet found in Kyle's body, which the ballistic markings prove was fired from this pistol!"

**_Murder Weapon added to Court Record._**

The courtroom buzzed as everyone in the stands absorbed this information.

"Order! Order in the court!" the Judge yelled, banging his gavel. "This seems like a pretty open-and-shut case to me. Mr. Wright, do you have anything to say to this?"

"Uh, um..."

"Mr. Wright, you have to think of something!" Wendy said urgently.

"Um...a-actually, I do," Phoenix said slowly. "You're..being very vague here, Mr. Broflovski!"

Gerald's eyes widened a bit. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"First of all, you say, 'bullet.' But the murder weapon was fired twice. Where is the bullet that didn't hit the victim?"

"We haven't found it yet."

"You haven't? Then that could mean-"

"No, Wright, it doesn't mean anything," Gerald sniffed. "If the bullet had hit something, the detectives would've been able to find it. It obviously missed. For all we know, it's at the bottom of Stark's Pond. We'll continue searching for it...that is, if this case even goes past today. Which I doubt it will."

"Urgh...fine," Phoenix groaned. "For my second question: You say that this pistol was 'seen' in the defendant's hands. Who saw this, exactly?"

To Phoenix's disappointment, Gerald didn't even flinch. "Why, that would be our first witness. Would you like me to call him out?"

"Do you think he's talking about Butters?" Wendy asked.

"Maybe," Phoenix replied. "Don't bring out your witness yet; I still have questions."

Gerald narrowed his eyes. "Your Honor, I object to this! The defense is only stalling so the prosecution cannot bring out it's decisive witness!"

"No!" Phoenix yelled. _I'll have to bluff a bit here. _"I, uh, find the prosecution's evidence very suspicious! I have to examine it further!"

The Judge pondered that for a bit. "Mr. Wright has a point. Objection overruled."

"Gah!" Gerald grunted in frustration. _There's something he's hiding, I'm sure of it!_

Phoenix thought for a few seconds as to what he was going to say. "Mr. Broflovski...I don't believe that someone 'seeing' my client holding the murder weapon is enough. Do you have more proof than that? Like...fingerprints on the murder weapon?"

Gerald began to tremble, and sweat ran down his face. "Th-th-that's trivial! I have clear proof."

_Bingo! _"Do you have fingerprint evidence or not!?"

"I-I...it's not..."

"The prosecution will answer the defense's question," the Judge reprimanded.

Gerald winced. "N-no, Your Honor. We couldn't find any of the defendant's fingerprints on the weapon..."

"AHA!" Phoenix shouted triumphantly. "So the defendant must be-"

"Stop right there, Wright!" Gerald interrupted. "Let me explain! After the murder, the pistol was dropped into the water. By the time the pistol was found, any fingerprints that would've been on it were washed away. The defendant's fingerprints may not have been on the murder weapon, or maybe they were!"

"Hm... In light of this new evidence, I cannot be sure of Eric Cartman's guilt," the Judge said. _Yes!_

"I understand, Your Honor," Gerald huffed. "Of course, your opinion will change when I finally bring out my witness. May I, Mr. Wright?" Gerald said cynically.

_I can't find anything else suspicious about what he said. _"Yes, Mr. Broflovski. You may."

"Good. The prosecution calls its first witness, who was there on the night of the murder!"

"So it must not be Butters," Wendy thought out loud. "Unless he was lying, which I doubt. Who do you think it was?"

"I have no idea. We'll just have to wait and see."

After a minute, a boy that looked the same age as Eric came up to the witness's stand. He wore a brown jacket, and a blue hat with a red poofball. The most striking thing about him, though, were his puffy eyes and the tears running down his cheeks.

"Young man...is everything alright?" the Judge asked.

"Yeah," he sniffled. "It's just...Kyle is, I mean, was, my best friend. My best friend in the whole world."

"Oh, that's sad," the Judge frowned. "Are you sure you can testify?"

The boy nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah, I can. I want to. I wanna make sure that ASSHOLE CARTMAN PAYS FOR WHAT HE DID!" His voice rose to a shriek at the end.

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Cartman roared from across the room.

"YOU DID! I SAW YOU! TELL THE TRUTH, FAT BOY!"

"I'M NOT FAT, I'M BIG-BONED!"

"Er, please stop arguing!" the Judge exclaimed, banging his gavel. The boy grunted in anger, but quieted. Wendy glared at him, and he stuck out his tongue in response.

"Wendy, do you know him?" Phoenix whispered.

"Yeah," she answered, an edge in her voice. "He's my boyfriend. But we got into a fight because I thought Cartman was innocent and he didn't, so we're broken up now." _Young romance...blech. Kill me now!_

"Witness, state your name and occupation," Gerald said.

"Uh...my name's Stan Marsh," the boy said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Occupation...student, I guess. I'm in fourth grade."

"Thank you, witness," the Judge said. "As the prosecution claims, you witnessed the murder, correct?"

"Yeah," Stan seethed. "I fucking saw it. I saw the whole damn thing."

_It's like all the kids in this town have the language of adults! _Phoenix observed. _How the hell did that happen? _

"Uh, that's great," the Judge said, shocked by Stan's language as well. "Witness, could you please testify as to what you saw that night?"

"Gladly," Stan snarled. And he began his testimony.

_"It was the night of the murder, and we were all playing at Stark's Pond. I was at the shore, and Kyle and Cartman were on a boat in the middle of the pond. I was minding my own business until I heard a huge BANG coming from the center of the lake. I looked out and saw Cartman, pointing a gun at Kyle. Then there was another BANG and Kyle fell over..."_

The Judge closed his eyes, thinking hard. "It appears that this testimony matches up with what has been presented so far."

"Yes, Your Honor," Gerald agreed. "There are no contradictions."

"Hm. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

"Of course, Your Honor," Phoenix replied.

"Mr. Wright! I didn't see anything wrong with his testimony!" Wendy panicked.

Phoenix mustered a smile. "Wendy, it's time you learn one of my mentor, Mia Fey's best techniques: If there seems to be nothing wrong with a testimony, press everything!"

"O-okay," Wendy nodded. "Show me!"

_"It was the night of the murder, and we were all playing at Stark's Pond."_

"Hold it!" Phoenix exclaimed. "The time of the murder was 8:38. Isn't that a bit late for ten-year-old boys to be out playing?"

Stan averted his eyes. "Well, uh..."

"Objection!" Gerald shouted. "This is irrelevant! All that matters is that the witness was there at the time of the murder!"

"Don't you think it's pretty suspicious that they were out so late?" Phoenix reasoned. "For all we know, it could have something to do with the crime!"

"Objection overruled," the Judge nodded. "The defense may continue this line of questioning." _Wow, the Judge is really on my side today...for once! _

"Witness, please tell us," Phoenix said. "Is there a reason why you were out so late?"

"I-I can't tell you. Or else I'll get in huge trouble," Stan said quietly.

"With...your parents?"

"Yeah."

Phoenix found himself getting irritated. "Witness, this is a matter of life and death! It doesn't matter if you get grounded, you can't hide secrets from the court!"

Stan ducked his head, a couple tears forming in his eyes. _Uh-oh..._

"Objection! The defense is badgering this poor boy!" Gerald said.

The Judge gave Phoenix a mean look. "Mr. Wright, I will allow you to continue this line of questioning...but if you continue to badger this young boy, you will be penalized!"

"Y-yes, Your Honor," Phoenix stammered. _I hate it when this happens! _"Okay, Stan," Phoenix said in his best sweet voice. "How about we approach this from another angle? What game were you all playing?"

Instantly, Stan brightened up. "It's the most kickass game ever, dude. So there are two races locked in never-ending war, the humans and the drow-elves. Cartman is the king of the humans, and Kyle...was the ruler of the drow-elves. We have level systems, and debuffs, and all sorts of weapons and gear, and the two races fight each other!"

_Drow-elves? Level systems? Debuffs? Kids these day and their crazy fads...darn it, I sound like an old man. _"So, you were playing this game that night?"

"Yep. The humans and the drow-elves were battling at Stark's Pond."

**_Game Description added to Court__ Record._**

"Wait. If the defendant and the victim were, uh, two leaders of kingdoms at war," Phoenix said, feeling ridiculous, "then why were they on a boat together?"

"We called a temporary truce," Stan answered.

"Why?"

Stan hesitated. "Okay, fine, I'll tell you." He directed a nervous glance towards the prosecution. "So Cartman and Kyle were fighting, and Cartman disarmed Kyle and sent his weapon, a golf club, flying into the pond. We called a temporary truce so that we could find the golf club...because it belonged to Kyle's dad."

"Wait...THAT'S WHERE MY GOLF CLUB WENT!?" Gerald screamed, and Phoenix stifled a laugh.

"But witness, wouldn't the defendant and the victim still not trust each other?" the Judge questioned.

"They didn't," Stan said. "But they were the only ones who saw where the golf club fell, and there was only room for two people in the boat."

"That makes sense," the Judge said.

Gerald finally spoke up, recovered from the shock of finding out what happened to his golf club. "Y-yes, of course it makes sense. Now we have an explanation for why the children were out so late: they were looking for the lost golf club. I believe that anymore questioning on this topic is unnecessary."

"Mr. Broflovski is right. The defense will continue its cross-examination."

_"I was at the shore, and Kyle and Cartman were on a boat in the middle of the pond."_

"Hold it!" Phoenix said. "Witness, where exactly were you?"

"On the right shore," Stan answered quickly.

"Uh...are you sure?"

"Completely. Can I move on now?"

"Um...I guess so," Phoenix said.

_"I was alone, minding my own business, until I heard a huge BANG coming from the center of the lake."_

"Hold it! Minding your own business? Can you explain what you were doing, witness?" Phoenix pressed.

"I said, I was minding my own business!" Stan seethed. "God damn it, why do you have to be so finicky!?"

"Because that's the job of a defense attorney," Gerald laughed. "To take every tiny, irrelevant detail and try to turn it into something huge. Your Honor, I request that we move on to the next portion of the testimony."

"Objection!" Phoenix burst out. "This witness is being very vague, Your Honor!"

"I must admit, I am curious as to what the witness was doing," the Judge inserted. "Young man, please tell us." _Woohoo! Another save for Phoenix Wright! Oh yeah, I rule!_

"Uh, Mr. Wright...why are you fist-pumping so much?" Wendy giggled.

"Yes, I must also ask that the defense refrains from excessive...fist-pumping."

"Er, sorry, Your Honor," Phoenix said nervously. "Okay, witness, tell the court what you were doing."

"Ugh, fine. We were setting up an ambush."

"An ambush?" Phoenix repeated. "For who?"

"Cartman. As soon as he and Kyle got off the boat, we were going to capture that fatass and force the humans into submission."

_That could really be taken out of context, _Phoenix thought. "Your Honor, could this 'ambush' be added to the witness's testimony?"

"Er...why?"

"It's vital to the case!" Phoenix said without thinking.

"How exactly is it related, Wright?" Gerald raised one eyebrow.

"Uh...I don't know yet," Phoenix spluttered. "B-but it could be important!"

"Very well, Mr. Wright," the Judge said. "But remember: You will be penalized if you badger the witness."

"I'm aware, Your Honor," Phoenix sighed.

_"We were planning to break the truce between the humans and the drow-elves and ambush Cartman as soon as the boat came back."_

"Objection!" Phoenix shouted. "Your Honor, there is a major contradiction in this sentence!"

"There...is? I don't see anything wrong."

"You're grasping, Wright," Gerald added.

"I-I'm not!" Phoenix protested. "The contradiction is against the previous part of the witness's testimony!"

"Explain yourself."

"You see," Phoenix began, "the witness stated earlier that 'he was alone.' But here, he said, 'we!'"

"Wow! I didn't even notice that!" Wendy said in awe.

"Uh...I..." Stan's eyes widened.

Gerald laughed, to Phoenix's dismay. "I knew it, you were grasping. It was merely a slip of the tongue!"

"I don't think so!"

"Mr. Wright, what are you suggesting?" the Judge questioned.

"I'm suggesting that," Phoenix said confidently, "Stan Marsh was not alone! There was another witness to the crime!"

"Ack!" Stan cried out.

"Well, who was it?"

"Objection!" Gerald roared. "The defense is making baseless claims! We need proof that there was another witness to the crime! Do you have proof!?"

"I...I-I don't," Phoenix hung his head. "B-but...look at the witness's face!" Indeed, Stan was sweating in fear, and his breaths were quick.

"That is not sufficient in this court," Gerald condescended. "Stop this foolishness right now!"

"Mr. Wright!" Wendy called. "Will this help?" She whispered something in Phoenix's ear.

Phoenix brightened up. "I may not have solid proof, but I have a very good reasoning behind my claim!"

"And what would that be?"

"The witness stated that he was planning an 'ambush,'" Phoenix said. "Now, tell me: Wouldn't it be impossible for an ambush happen if there was only one person carrying it out?"

"What the-" Gerald gasped. "S-stop this! This is...irrelevant!"

"It's not," Phoenix shook his head. "Eric Cartman may not be very fast,"

"AY!" Cartman screeched from the defendant's chair.

Phoenix ignored him."But you can't perform an ambush with one person!"

"I agree with the defense's logic," the Judge nodded. _Aw, yeah! Another victory for...oh, wait. No fist-pumping. _

"Now tell me, witness," Phoenix pounded against his wooden podium. "Who else was there with you, waiting for the defendant and the victim to return?"

"Uh...Jimmy," Stan answered reluctantly. "Jimmy Valmer. He was there with me."

"Witness, this is the first time I'm hearing about this!" Gerald gnashed his teeth.

"Did this 'Jimmy Valmer' also witness the crime?" Phoenix asked.

"No."

"Aha! Wait...NO!?" Phoenix gaped. "B-but you said he was there with you!"

"Yeah, we were both hiding in the bushes, waiting for Kyle and Cartman to get back. When we heard the first gunshot, I went out to go check out what was going on. Jimmy stayed in the bushes, so he didn't see anything."

"Are you completely, one-hundred percent sure he didn't see any details of the murder!?"

Stan nodded. "We talked about it the day after. Jimmy told me he didn't see anything, and I should be the one to testify. Even if he did see something...well, Jimmy has a really bad stutter, so he would probably just frustrate everyone..."

_A really bad stutter, huh? I wonder if I'll ever meet this kid. _"Um...the defense would like to-"

"Objection!" Gerald interrupted. "Don't even think about it, Wright. Jimmy Valmer clearly did not witness the crime; Stan has made that painfully obvious! You're just badgering the witness now!"

"I agree with the prosecution," the Judge said. "Mr. Wright, I'm afraid I'll have to assign you a penalty for badgering the witness."

_Oops. I guess ol' graybeard was serious when he said he'd penalize me...I'd better stop now. _

_"I looked out and saw Cartman, pointing a gun at Kyle." _

"Objection!" Phoenix shouted. "Witness, are you absolutely sure you saw the victim and the defendant?"

"Uh, yeah. Is this a trick question or something?"

Phoenix smirked. "Well, I highly doubt that you could've seen them! I would like to present this evidence to the court." Phoenix presented the Autopsy Report.

"The autopsy? What does this mean, Wright?" Gerald asked suspiciously.

"I would like everyone to take a look at the time of the murder. 8:38 PM." Phoenix said. "By this time, it was night...and very dark, undoubtedly. So it was impossible for the witness to have seen the people on the boat!"

The court rumbled as people took in this new information. "Order! Order in the court!" the Judge banged his gavel. "What is the prosecution's opinion on this?"

Gerald was silent. After a while he looked up...smiling?

"Ha." Gerald chortled. "Ha. Ha. Hahahaha!"

"What the-" Phoenix gulped. _He's...laughing? Uh-oh..._

"Look at you, Wright. Thinking you've already won. Allow me to strike down this moronic claim," Gerald said. "The night of the murder, there was a full moon. This would've provided enough light for the witness to see the victim and the defendant."

"What...gah!" Phoenix cried.

"Young man, is this correct?" the Judge asked.

Stan nodded. "There was a full moon. It was pretty dark, but I could see the silhouettes of them."

"Wait!" Phoenix said. "You only saw their silhouettes? You didn't clearly see them?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Stan admitted. "But I could tell it was them."

"How?" Phoenix pressed.

Stan rolled his eyes. "Just in case you've forgotten, Cartman is fat. He's so fat his silhouette was much different than a normal kid."

"I'M NOT FAT, I'M BIG-BONED!" Cartman shrieked again. "I FUCKING HATE YOU, STAN!"

Stan ignored Cartman. "As I was saying, it was pretty obvious it was Cartman. And as for Kyle...well, I saw him get on the boat with Cartman before. I don't see how it couldn't be him."

"No one else got on the boat?" Gerald said.

"Nope. No one else," Stan confirmed. "Cartman and Kyle were the only ones who got on, and I saw their silhouettes. There's no way it wasn't them."

_His logic is pretty sound...but something still rubs me the wrong way about this part of Stan's testimony. I think I should ask him something else. _"Uh...what about the murder weapon?"

Stan looked confused. "The gun? Uh, what about it? It was a gun, and Cartman was pointing it at Kyle."

"I have some questions about this gun," Phoenix said.

"Mr. Wright, you'd better not start badgering the witness...again," Gerald growled.

"I'm not, I swear!" Phoenix protested. "I-I'm sure something important will come from this!"

"It'd better," the Judge threatened, "or else I'll have to penalize you again!"

_Gulp..._ Phoenix thought, checking his current status. _I'm already not on very good terms with the Judge...if I get penalized again, there might be serious consequences!_

"Mr. Wright, are you sure you want to keep pressing Stan?" Wendy asked, concerned.

"I don't think I have a choice, Wendy," Phoenix explained. "There's been nothing wrong with Stan's testimony so far. If I didn't keep pressing him, he'd be allowed to leave...and then Cartman would get a guilty verdict, for sure." _Though I'm still not even sure whether he's innocent or not..._

"So...this is our last chance," Wendy sighed. "You have to find something wrong, Phoenix Wright!"

"Yes. And, uh...could you not call me by my full name like that?" Phoenix chuckled. "It's kinda embarrassing."

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Wright."

"Just 'Phoenix' is fine," Phoenix said.

"Er, OK...Phoenix," Wendy giggled. _What's up with her? She's blushing for some reason..._

"Ahem," Gerald spoke up. "Could the defense stop sharing sentiments with its co-counsel and move on with the questioning?"

"S-sure," Phoenix relented. _Um, s__haring sentiments? Is there something I'm missing here...?_

"Alright, dude, what do you want to know about the gun?" Stan asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Uh...you said that you could only see the silhouettes of the people on the boat," Phoenix started. "If you couldn't see perfectly, how could you tell that what the defendant was holding was a gun?"

"I mean, it sorta had the shape of a gun," Stan attested. "Like I said, fatass was pointing it at Kyle. Then, I heard a BANG, and Kyle...fell over. Any dumb shit could tell what it was."

"Erm, I request that the witness refrain from...excessive cursing," the Judge said uncomfortably.

"Ugh, whatever," Stan stewed. "The fact still stands. It was a gun, no doubt...and Cartman was holding it."

"I see no problem with this," the Judge commented. "Mr. Wright?"

"I..Uh..."

"Penalize him!" Gerald exclaimed. "This is proving to be trivial!"

"Agreed."

"W-wait!" Phoenix howled. "Your Honor, please! Let me continue questioning the witness about the gun!"

The Judge narrowed his eyes. "Mr. Wright...I will allow you ONE more question. If no new information is discovered, then the witness will be allowed to leave the court." _And Cartman will be found guilty..._

"W-what do we do!?" Wendy panicked.

Phoenix took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "I...I just have to think of the right question..."

"I know you can do it, Phoenix!" Wendy said with conviction. _She seems very trusting in me...I wonder why. She's definitely more confident in me than I am myself..._

Phoenix thought for a long time. This was his very last chance. If he asked the wrong question, it would all be over...

"I have my question."

Gerald sneered. "You are aware that this is your only question? No slip-ups, no badgering, or else you're screwed, to put it bluntly."

"I'm aware. This is my final question: Witness, what did the gun you claim Cartman was holding look like?"

There was a long silence.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Stan face-palmed.

"And here I thought you were a reputable defense attorney," Gerald jabbed.

"Er, Mr. Wright, are you really sure that is your final question?" the Judge frowned.

"Yes, Your Honor. Witness, please answer the question."

"You are such an idiot," Stan said in an annoyed tone. "I already said it before, it looked like a gun. It had the shape of a gun, and Cartman was pointing it at Kyle."

"Please describe it in more detail."

"Fine, whatever," Stan grunted. "I couldn't see the details too well, since it was nighttime, but I could tell it had a dark color. It had an 'L' shape like any gun, and it was long and thin."

"N-no!" Gerald cried in terror.

"Ha!" Phoenix exclaimed triumphantly.

"I knew you could do it!" Wendy beamed.

"Um, what exactly is going on here? Did I miss something?" the Judge asked, scratching his bald head.

_Oh, Your Honor, you are so oblivious... _"Witness, what type of gun would you say the murder weapon was?"

Stan pondered that. "I dunno, I told you I couldn't see it well. Well, it was long and thin, so I'd say it was a rifle or something. A bit overkill, judging how they were only standing a few feet apart."

Gerald groaned.

"Wait...what?" the Judge inquired. "Could someone please explain to me what's going on here?"

"Your Honor, there is a humongous contradiction in what the witness just said," Phoenix voiced. He presented the Murder Weapon. "You see, the witness just said that the weapon was 'long and thin,' and he'd 'say it was a rifle or something.' But as everyone can clearly see, the murder weapon was a PISTOL! It matches none of these descriptions!"

The Judge gasped. "Oh, my, you're right! What does the prosecution have to say about this?"

Gerald thought about it for a minute. "I believe...I believe that the witness is wrong. He has already stated that he couldn't see the murder weapon very well."

"That makes sense," the Judge said.

_N-no! I can't lose this now... _"That...can't be! What the witness saw couldn't be the murder weapon!"

"What are you suggesting, Wright?" Gerald glowered. "That the defendant was not holding the murder weapon? Then, prove it! Baseless claims will not be accepted in this court."

"Mr. Broflovski is correct," the Judge concurred. "Mr. Wright...if the defendant was not holding the pistol, then what was he holding?"

"Phoenix, do you have an answer?" Wendy queried.

Phoenix leafed through the Court Record. After a few seconds, his eyes widened. "I...I do! It makes so much sense!"

"Well, Wright? What was the defendant holding if not the pistol?"

"This!" Phoenix presented the Golf Club. "Eric Cartman was holding this!"

"My...golf club?" Gerald said, incredulous.

"Yes!" Phoenix replied. "I found this golf club wedged tightly under one of the boat seats, so it must've been there during the murder. It's long, dark-colored, thin, and with an 'L' shape just as the witness described. He could've easily mistaken it for a rifle!"

Gerald snorted. "Fine, let's say the defendant was holding it, hypothetically. Why on earth would he be pointing a golf club at Kyle?"

"Uh..." Phoenix thought about that. He formulated a reason after a bit. _Great, now I have to talk like their ridiculous game is real... _Phoenix presented the Game Description. "The reason is...was that Eric Cartman was about to break the truce between the humans and drow-elves!"

Gerald smirked. "If the defendant was really going to break the truce...then doesn't that give him a motive?"

Phoenix face-palmed. "Er, Mr. Broflovski...you do realize that this is a game that children are playing, right? They wouldn't take it so seriously they would try to kill each other."

"Oh. Whoops." Gerald tittered.

"Though you do have a point. This game isn't serious enough that someone would shoot the Kyle Broflovski with a gun...but it is serious enough that someone would hit him with a golf club!"

The Judge gasped. "Are you saying that..."

"Yes, Your Honor! Eric Cartman was holding the golf club out...because he was about to break the truce and hit Kyle with it!"

The crowd watching the trial buzzed.

"Order! Order in the court!"

Gerald winced. "B-but...you have no proof! Where is the proof that the defendant wanted to hit Kyle?"

Phoenix shook his head condescendingly. "No, Broflovski. Cartman didn't WANT to hit Kyle; he did! And the proof is right here!" Phoenix presented the Autopsy Report. "Notice how 'a sizable bruise was found in the victim's left side.' This bruise could only come from the defendant hitting Kyle on the side with the golf club!"

"I...ugh...NO!" Gerald screamed.

"And this would mean..." the Judge trailed off.

"This would mean that since Eric Cartman was not holding the pistol...he is not the murderer!"

"GRAAH!" Gerald roared. "Y-you...you still d-don't have sufficient p-proof! The bruise very well could've come from something else!"

Phoenix smiled. "And what would that be? You are the one who said 'baseless claims will not be accepted in this court.' Well, do you have any evidence?"

Gerald looked away, seething.

"Mr. Wright..." the Judge said. "If the defendant was not the shooter, then who was?"

"There can only be one person," Phoenix answered. _Sigh...whoever I accuse here will be out for my blood when the trial's over... _"The one child who had a clear view of the boat and the people on it: Stan Marsh!"

Stan froze, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "WHAT. THE. FUCK!?" he shrieked after a while. "WHY THE HELL WOULD I KILL KYLE!? HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND, YOU ASSHOLE!"

"I asked the witness to refrain from cursing," the Judge scolded. "But Mr. Marsh has a point. Why would he murder the defendant?"

"Yes," Gerald snarled. "As Kyle's father, I can wholeheartedly agree that my son and Stan were extremely close. Not to mention that they were both on the same team in their game. He has no motive whatsoever!"

"I'm afraid motive doesn't matter," Phoenix sighed, "as long as suspicion can be cast against this witness."

Stan looked ready to kill! "What about Jimmy!? He was with me! He saw that I DIDN'T KILL ANYBODY!"

Phoenix frowned. "Stan, you were the one who said that Jimmy Valmer couldn't see any details of the murder due to the fact he was hidden in the bushes. If this is correct, then this kid couldn't testify that you weren't the killer. Due to the fact that there were no fingerprints found on the murder weapon, anyone could've been the killer...including you."

"I agree, there is a chance that this witness was the killer despite not having a motive," the Judge said. "Since there appears to be no more evidence for this case, I believe that I have to extend the trial for another day." _Yes!_

"But the defense still doesn't have decisive proof that the defendant was holding the golf club!" Gerald objected.

The Judge shook his head. "I have made my decision. The trial will be extended another day, due to many unanswered questions. Stan Marsh will be taken into custody."

Stan said nothing, but his face showed such fury that Phoenix wanted to run and hide.

"Mr. Broflovski, I want you to try and prove that the defendant was not holding the golf club, and to find evidence to erase the suspicion from Mr. Marsh. Wright, I want you to prove that the defendant was holding the golf club and try to prove Stan Marsh is a candidate for the murderer. Court is adjourned." The Judge banged his gavel.

**_January 10th, 11:13 AM_**

**_District Court_**

**_Defendant Lobby No. 2_**

"That was close," Phoenix said to Wendy as they exited the courtroom.

"Y-yeah..." Wendy answered stammered, looking away.

"Wendy? Is there something wrong?"

Wendy was about to answer when a certain boy in a red poof-ball hat walked up to Phoenix.

"I...hate...you..." Stan Marsh said slowly, his voice cold and bitter like the edge of a sharp knife. "I hope you die. I hope someone shoots you in the heart and you DIE JUST LIKE KYLE DID!" His voice rose to a scream of fury at the end, and the guards carried him off, kicking and screaming.

After a long silence, Wendy said, "Phoenix, I don't think you should've accused Stan. You know he didn't do it...right? He'd never kill Kyle."

"I know, Wendy," Phoenix sighed. "I can tell he didn't do it. But...I had to pin it on someone. If I didn't...then Cartman would be declared guilty."

"I...get it," Wendy sniffled. "So...do you really think Cartman is innocent, Phoenix?"

"I think so," Phoenix replied truthfully. "At first, I wasn't so sure...but now, with all this new evidence, I think it's safe to say he didn't kill Kyle Broflovski."

"That's good," Wendy smiled weakly. "A defense attorney should always have trust in their clients." _She sounds just like Mia...you know, maybe she'll make a great lawyer someday. I'm glad I took her in as my co-counsel. _

"Alright," Phoenix said. "The Judge gave us a lot to do; we'd better start investigating."


End file.
